Druids of the Flame
The Druids of the Flame are a sect of wayward Druids that were once led by the traitorous Fandral Staghelm. The Druids of the Flame have bonded with the element of Flame, and now worship the elemental powers of the Firelands. Twisted by the power of Ragnaros, these twisted druids believed the only way to achieve true balance on Azeroth was to reduce the equation to nothingness. Ragnaros the Firelord supported their malicious crusade, becoming the corrupted Druids new patron deity and granted them the ability to manipulate the element of fire. History The Druids of the Flame came into being after the Cataclysm had already begun. Mount Hyjal was one of the epicenters of the Old Gods' assaults on Azeroth and Ragnaros the Firelord was quick to renew his old allegiance with the Eldritch deities. The Twilight's Hammer, the mortal forces of the Old Gods, gained enormous tracts of ground in Hyjal, pushing the Guardians of Hyjal almost all the way back to Nordrassil itself. Though the attackers were eventually pushed back, they had managed to get close enough to Nordrassil to reach the Hyjal Barrow Dens, where the mad Archdruid Fandral Staghelm was imprisoned. Through the whispers of the Old Gods and their servant Ragnaros, the Green Dragon guardian of the Barrow Dens, Alysra, was converted to the Twilight's Hammer cause, and spirited Staghelm away to freedom from Hyjal and hand-delivered him to the service of Ragnaros. Taken into the Firelands, Staghelm was restored to something resembling sanity, yet was irrevocably the Firelord's creature now. Tasked by his new lord with the creation of a new order of druids to counter the Guardians of Hyjal and serve Ragnaros' will. The first recruits to Fandral's new order did not arrive until several months into the Cataclysm, by which time the Horde had rampaged through Ashenvale and massacred several Kaldorei settlements. This caused several disillusioned Druids resentful of Malfurion Stormrage's pacifistic stance towards the Horde to defect from the Cenarion Circle and follow Fandral. Other Night Elves were forcibly indoctrinated and given little choice in their new allegiance, while others still preferred to follow the old Archdruid of Darnassus as a strong leader in favor of the more peaceful Stormrage. After having perfected their new fire-based Druidic abilities, Fandral and his new order of Druids were ready to make their appearances on the battlefield, but were reserved for a devastating blow. Under the auspices of the Twilight's Hammer, Fandral and his Druids were sent to eliminate the World-Shaman Thrall from the game. They later defended the Firelands from the Guardians of Hyjal's attempted invasion plan and led counterattacks outside of the Firelands and unto the Mountain slopes, setting the slowly-recovering mountain ablaze once again. The Druids of the Flame continued to expand their powers within the Firelands, Ragnaros pouring power and attention into the rising heretical order, even naming Staghelm as his Majordomo and second in command. The first major blow to their power came when their second in command, Leyara, was killed by Archdruid Hamuul Runetotem, previously thought dead by her own hand. The Guardians of Hyjal, furious at the atrocities wrought upon the sacred mountain, seized the initiative and stormed the Firelord's private grounds, slaying thousands of powerful elementals permanently and killing numerous Druids of the flame. The bulk of their order was killed alongside Fandral Staghelm in Sulfuron Keep, extinguishing his dreams of an Azeroth aflame. Through the efforts of Malfurion Stormrage and the Cenarion Circle, the Druids of the Flame were eventually thwarted, and Ragnaros was defeated in the elemental plane of the Firelands. The Druids of the Flame proved themselves formidable foes as they were highly resistant to physical attacks. Druids of the Flame in Azeroth today are few, but a small number may yet remain. The Firelands are vast and wide with plenty of space to hide from the vengeful Guardians of Hyjal. Others may have captured by the Wardens and imprisoned within the Vault of the Wardens alongside hundreds of Ragnaros' other servants. With the rise of Smolderon the Firelord, it is uncertain how any surviving Druids of the Flame may react to his presence. Some may call him a usurper, but others may see opportunity in this new Firelord. Abilities and equipment Druids of the flame retained many of their druidic abilities, albeit infused with the element of fire. This included taking various druidic animal forms imbued with flame, leading to perversions of the Druidic arts. Although the Druids of the Flame are irrevocably altered, they retain many aspects of the natural world in their spells. Fire, after all is not evil or corrupting, but an Element, which Druids work with to a lesser extent. Flame druids mostly use fire-oriented spells. Much like normal druids, they are capable of shapeshifting into animal forms, but their forms are always fiery versions of the animal in question. Druids of the Flame still control considerable powers over the natural world, but fused with the fiery energies of the Firelands. Smoldering roots and immolated treants are commonly seen among Druids of the Flame. To the untrained eye, a flame druid's staff would be indistinguishable from any druid's staff. Their idols signify their tie to the element of fire, and they carry spellbooks which detail their strange spells. Druids of the flame are known to make use of Seeds of Nordrassil in their rituals, charred black by the power of the Firelands. Known Druids of the Flame. *Fandral Staghelm (Deceased) *Leyara (Deceased) *Thorian Firemoon *Athinios *Ash'theros Category:Druids Category:Organizations Category:Druids of the Flame Category:Classes and Professions